Immortality Through Array Formations

The night was pitch-black, the moonlight desolate.

Outside South Yue City, a group of Cultivators stealthily made their way toward the mine.

And behind them, three little Cultivators, also hidden, stealthily followed.

They proceeded in silence, and before long, Wang Lai and his companions arrived at the outskirts of the mine.

The mine did not operate at night, and its periphery was secured by several large iron gates.

Wang Lai pressed against the iron gate, walked twenty steps to the right, crouched down, and searched with his hands in the veil of night, soon opening a low, concealed door.

Old Yu and Wang Er exchanged glances, perplexed.

They had mined for years and had no idea that such a secret entrance existed outside the mine.

"Let's go."

Wang Lai whispered, then hunched over and led the way into the mine through the concealed door.

Old Yu hesitated.

A few rogues behind him gave Old Yu a push.

Fortune favors the bold.

Old Yu gritted his teeth and, like Wang Lai, stooped low to crawl into the mine.

Once Wang Lai and his group had all entered the mine, the last rogue closed the concealed door.

Mo Hua and his two companions arrived at the door, finding not only was it closed, but also wrapped with a chain which was secured with an iron lock.

Bai Zisheng asked, "Shall I split it open?"

Mo Hua shook his head, "Too noisy."

"Then how do we get in?"

Mo Hua pointed to the lock, "There's a Formation on this lock."

"Can you unlock it?"

Mo Hua's eyebrows rose slightly:

"For such a small lock, if I can't unlock it, I don't deserve to be a first-grade Formation Master..."

Bai Zisheng muttered, "Not every first-grade Formation Master knows how to break Formations..."

Bai Zixi raised her fair little finger and "shushed" them to silence, then said to Mo Hua:

"Hurry and unlock it."

"Mhm."

Mo Hua nodded, took out his writing brush and ink, made a quick Calculation in his mind, and then understood the Formation on the lock.

An Iron Lock Formation of the first-grade, seven Patterns.

Mo Hua casually sketched a few Formation Patterns; a glint of light flashed over the iron lock then faded away, and with a "click," it opened.

His expertise was such that it was as if he was using his own key to open his own lock with ease.

Bai Zisheng was somewhat astonished.

Mo Hua felt a slight sense of pride, but as he carefully tried to push open the concealed door, it didn't budge after several pushes...

The door was heavy and difficult for someone not practicing Body Cultivation to open.

Mo Hua glanced at Bai Zisheng.

Bai Zisheng understood, lightly pushed with his hand, and the concealed door opened; he then gave Mo Hua a smug smile.

Mo Hua shook his head and was about to enter when Bai Zisheng stopped him.

"I'll go in first," Bai Zisheng said.

Mo Hua wasn't a Body Cultivator, and if he went first and encountered danger, it could be troublesome.

Mo Hua paused, understanding Bai Zisheng's intent, and after a moment's hesitation, nodded.

Though he had already scanned the area beyond the door with his Divine Sense and found no danger, he still appreciated his Junior Brother's kindness.

Bai Zisheng entered through the door first, and after a moment whispered:

"No danger, everyone come in."

So Mo Hua and Bai Zixi followed suit and entered the mine through the concealed door.

Beyond the door lay the mine.

This was Mo Hua's second time in the mine.

The first time was during the day when many Mining Cultivators were at work.

The mine was hot and noisy.

But now it was night, and the mine was completely deserted.

The oppressive darkness enveloped the entire mine, rendering it eerie and deathly still.

Before them, only the jagged rocks and pitch-black mine shafts were visible.

No sign of Wang Lai and his party could be seen.

Bai Zisheng asked, "What should we do?"

Mo Hua released his Divine Sense and then pointed down a path, "Let's go this way."

Thus, the three of them, with the Concealment Formation activated to hide their tracks, quietly headed toward the mine shaft.

Inside the pitch-black mine shaft, Wang Lai led the way.

Old Yu, Wang Er, and Tang Wu were in the middle.

Three rogues followed behind them.

The mine shaft at night was damp and sinister; within the silent cavern, only the disordered footsteps of the few echoed, with occasional drips of water falling, near and far, unnerving those present.

Tang Wu asked, "Big Brother Wang, where is the ore?"

Wang Lai replied, "Just follow me."

Wang Lai walked ahead, his tone neutral and echoing in the shaft, carrying an indescribable inscrutability.

Wang Er, trailing behind, felt something was off and cautiously asked:

"Big Brother Wang, do you often come here to mine secretly?"

"This is my first time."

"But you seem so familiar with this route..."

Wang Lai paused briefly, then slowly replied:

"I scoped out the place in advance, bribed the Lu Family Cultivators, and left the concealed door, so it's been smooth sailing..."

Wang Er nodded, half-convinced.

Old Yu walked in silence, not speaking much but feeling uneasy.

He had started to sense that something was wrong.

Wang Lai was too familiar with the mine, as if he had been there many times before.

Yet he claimed it was his first time stealing ore.

That was clearly not possible.

Even if he had scoped out the place, he couldn't be this familiar with it.

Old Yu kept his expression neutral, but inside he was beginning to regret his decision, and his steps slowed.

Wang Lai noticed and turned around to give Old Yu a glance, "We're almost there, pick up the pace."

But that one look made Old Yu's heart skip a beat.

Wang Lai's glare was like that of a person looking at a dead man.

What were they planning?

Cold sweat dripped down Old Yu's back.

But he still had to follow Wang Lai and the rest.

They walked deeper into the mine, the deeper they went, the more silent and desolate it became.

After a few steps, Wang Er suddenly stumbled and fell, muttering under his breath:

"Why is the ground so slippery?"

Wang Lai said displeasedly, "Be careful."

With an awkward smile, Wang Er said, "Yes, Big Brother Wang."

His glance flickered slightly as he slowly stood up, deliberately lagging a few steps behind everyone else. When Wang Lai and the others weren't paying attention, Wang Er turned and ran, trying to escape to the entrance of the mine.

Hearing the hurried footsteps, Wang Lai turned around fiercely, his expression ferocious:

"Catch him!"

A big man quickly stepped forward, catching up to Wang Er in just a few steps. He grabbed Wang Er's collar, pulling him down to the ground.

Wang Lai said coldly, "Wang Er, what do you think you're doing?"

Wang Er's face turned somewhat pale: "Nothing... nothing at all..."

"Then why did you run?"

"I wasn't running."

Wang Lai's expression grew colder.

Grinding his teeth, Wang Er said, "You didn't bring us here to steal from the mine at all!"

Wang Lai looked somewhat stunned before responding coldly,

"How do you know that?"

Wang Er pointed towards the deeper parts of the mine and said, "There is no ore here, nothing at all!"

Before he finished speaking, Old Yu's face drastically changed. He stepped back a few times, intending to flee.

But it was already too late. Wang Lai had already drawn his knife and slashed at Old Yu.

Old Yu, aged and frail, was no match for Wang Lai, especially not with the surprise attack.

He was struck by Wang Lai's knife in the shoulder, and after a harsh kick, he collapsed on the ground, leaning against the cold stone wall, gasping for air.

Tang Wu was still somewhat dazed. He didn't understand why Wang Er suddenly tried to run, nor why everyone suddenly started fighting...

"Big Brother Wang, what's going on here?"

Before he could finish, a thug nearby suddenly punched him in the stomach.

Tang Wu was pained, clutching his stomach, and slowly knelt down.

Before he could react to what had happened, another thug struck him on the back of the head with a club.

The blow, infused with spiritual power and full of strength, left the club bloodied. Tang Wu then collapsed to the ground.

Anxiously, Wang Er shouted,

"Tang Wu!"

Although they didn't share the same surname, they had grown up together, mined together, and were close friends.

Wang Er had only thought of escaping alone in a moment of fear, instinctively wanting to run. But he hadn't anticipated that Wang Lai and the others would truly harm Tang Wu.

Without any grievances, why deal such a deadly blow?

Wang Er's eyes were split with rage as he yelled at Wang Lai:

"Cheeky Wang, you motherf..."

A thug punched him in the face, cutting off his words, and similarly, someone hit him on the head with a club.

Blood seeped from the top of Wang Er's head as it gradually drooped down.

Collapsed on the ground, Old Yu spoke bitterly,

"Wang Lai, what exactly do you want?"

Wang Lai shrugged, "You poor devils, it's just suffering being alive. Better to die and suffer less. It also lets me make some money from spirit stones."

Old Yu's complexion turned ashen.

He should have known.

Wang Lai was a wolf in sheep's clothing, sharing meat with a wolf is like seeking skin from a tiger, simply impossible.

He should not have been greedy and believed Wang Lai's words.

Frightened, Old Yu pleaded, "Let us go, anything you want, I'll give it to you."

Wang Lai let out a scornful laugh, "What could you possibly have? All your worldly possessions might not even be worth a single spirit stone, what's there to talk about?"

"Tang Wu and the others are still young, don't..."

"The strong and young fetch a better price."

A thug said, "Big Brother, it's getting late, we can't stay here for long."

Wang Lai nodded, "You're right."

He turned his head, gave Old Yu a sardonic look, and said,

"I told you, fortune comes with risk. Without danger, how can there be fortune? It's just that the risk is yours, the fortune is mine."

Old Yu's voice trembled, "What good does killing us do you?"

Wang Lai smiled, "That's not for you to worry about."

The thugs took out iron chains from their storage bags and locked up both Wang Er and Tang Wu.

Wang Lai instructed, "Slice open the heart vessels, kill them without damaging the limbs, don't spoil the skin."

Then he looked at Old Yu again, "I'll handle this old man."

As a cultivator with high skill and ruthless methods, Wang Lai could easily kill Old Yu without exerting much effort.

At death's door, Old Yu was filled with fear and regret.

He shouldn't have been greedy, dealing with someone like Wang Lai.

Immediately, deep guilt filled his heart.

Life as a mining cultivator was miserable. His son had died young, and he depended solely on his grandson.

Once he died, leaving behind his grandson, alone and helpless, how would he survive...

Would his beloved grandson still have clothes to wear, food to eat, or would he be bullied, perhaps starve to death on the streets at night...

Old Yu felt a bitter hatred in his heart.

Pained by his inability to care for his grandson and regretting his own greed.

Shedding tears, he pleaded bitterly,

"Wang Lai, I beg you, spare my life, please... my little grandson..."

Wang Lai was unmoved. His right hand gripped the knife, raised high, a numb and ruthless smirk on his lips.

Old Yu felt like he was falling into an ice cellar, he could only watch wide-eyed as the knife came down towards his chest.

His elderly tears turned ice cold, his gaze filled with despair.

Just then, a deep red flame flashed by in an instant, illuminating the pitch-black mine.

The firelight was blinding, and the surging fire elemental spiritual power hit them head-on.

Old Yu involuntarily closed his eyes, and after a moment, when he opened them, he found his chest intact, miraculously still alive.

Staring blankly, Old Yu looked up to see Wang Lai's entire arm consumed by ferocious flames.

The deep red flames licked at Wang Lai's arm, charring his right arm black. The knife from his right hand had already fallen to the ground.

Wang Lai, suffering the torment of the fierce fire, knelt on the ground, struggling to make a sound.

As Old Yu's numb senses gradually returned,

he wondered... Was that the Fireball Technique?